Chapter 131
DAMIEN’S POV
I was in the middle of reviewing quarterly reports when my phone rang. Tiffany’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hey,” I answered, still scanning the numbers in front of me. “What’s up p>
“Damien.” Her voice was shaking. I could tell she was in tears. “I need you p>
I straightened immediately. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt p>
“I just… I had the worst experience at the hospital.” She was crying harder now. “I was there for a networking meeting, and I ran into Sophia and that doctor, Lance “
My jaw clenched at the mention of Lance. “What happened p>
“He was so cruel to me, Damien. He threatened me, told me to leave, said he’d file harassment charges just because I tried to talk to Sophia.” Tiffany’s voice broke. “And Sophia just stood there watching. I think… I think she told him to do it, to intimidate me p>
My wolf snarled. “He threatened you p>
“He said I was harassing hospital staff and that he’d report me. But I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I was just… I was trying to be civil with Sophia, and he jumped in like some kind of white knight.” She sobbed. “I’m so scared, Damien. What if he actually files a complaint? What if this affects my career p>
Red clouded my vision. Lance had threatened Tiffany. My Tiffany. The gentle, kind woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
And Sophia had let it happen. Hell, she even probably orchestrated it.
“Where are you now?” I demanded.
“At home. I left right after. I couldn’t stay there, not with him glaring at me like that p>
“I’ll handle this.” I was already standing, grabbing my jacket. “Stay there. I’ll call you later p>
“Damien, please don’t do anything rash p>
“I said I’ll handle it p>
I hung up and headed for the door. My Alpha presence made my assistant scramble out of my way.
Simon caught me in the hallway. “Damien? Where are you going? We have the investor meeting in thirty minutes p>
“Cancel it. Something came up p>
“Cancel it? But these investors flew in from Singapore p>
“I don’t care. Handle it yourself.” I kept walking. I felt my wolf pushing at my control already.
The drive to Moonstone Hospital took twenty minutes, but it felt like hours. My hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough that the leather creaked.
Lance had threatened Tiffany. He made her scared her enough to make her cry.
And Sophia had stood there and let it happen.
I parked illegally in front of the hospital entrance and stormed inside. My alpha presence cleared a path through the crowded lobby.
“Where’s Dr. Sophia?” I demanded of the woman at the reception desk.
She looked up, startled by my tone. “I… I believe she’s with a patient right now. If you’d like to wait p>
“I’ll wait p>
I sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Other people in the waiting room kept glancing at me nervously, sensing the fury radiating from me.
Forty-five minutes. That’s how long I waited, getting angrier with each passing minute.
Finally, I saw Sophia come out from one of the examination rooms, looking exhausted. She was talking to a nurse, reviewing some kind of chart.
The nurse noticed me first. Her eyes widened, and she said something to Sophia.
Sophia’s head snapped up. When she saw me, her expression went blank.
Then she turned and started walking in the opposite direction.
Oh no. She didn’t get to run away from this.
I stood and followed her. “Sophia. We need to talk p>
“I’m working, Damien. Whatever this is, it can wait p>
“No, it can’t.” I grabbed her arm “What the hell did you think you were doing, sending your boyfriend on Tiffany p>
Sophia pulled her arm free. Her eyes flashed with anger. “My what p>
“Don’t play dumb. Lance threatened Tiffany at the hospital parking lot today, and you just stood there and let him p>
“Lance didn’t threaten anyone.” Sophia’s voice was cold. “He told Tiffany to stop harassing me, which she was doing. Everything he said was justified p>
“Justified? She was trying to have a civil conversation with you p>
“She was gloating about you washing her underwear and telling me I’d been thrown out of my own home!” Sophia’s voice rose. “She was cruel and petty, and Lance simply told her to leave. That’s not a threat, that’s common decency p>
“He said he’d file a harassment complaint p>
“Because she was harassing me in the hospital parking lot! Where I work!” Sophia stepped closer “But of course you believe her version. You always believe them over me p>
“Because you keep starting trouble!” I shot back. “First with Tasha, now with Tiffany. You can’t just accept that it’s over and move on p>
“I’m trying to move on! I came here to work, to do my job, and your girlfriend showed up to rub her relationship with you in my face!” Sophia’s hands clenched into fists. “And when someone finally defended me, you storm in here to punish me for it p>
“I’m not punishing you p>
“Then what do you call this? Showing up at my workplace, accusing me of things I didn’t do, defending the woman who’s destroying our family p>
“She’s not destroying anything that wasn’t already broken p>
Sophia flinched like I’d struck her.
“You’re right,” she said quietly. “Our family was already broken because you broke it. You chose her over me, over Ashley, over everything we built together. So don’t you dare blame me for the consequences of your choices p>
“Dr. Sophia?” A voice interrupted us. “Is everything alright p>
I turned to see Lance approaching. When he saw me, his eyes narrowed.
“Everything’s fine, Dr. Lance,” Sophia said, but her voice was shaking.
“It doesn’t look fine.” Lance stopped beside Sophia. “Alpha Stone, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You’re disrupting hospital operations p>
My wolf snarled at seeing him so close to my mate. “This is between me and my wife. Stay out of it p>
“Not when you’re upsetting her at her workplace.” Lance’s voice was calm but firm. “You need to leave now p>
“Or what?” I stepped closer. “You’ll threaten me like you threatened Tiffany p>
“I didn’t threaten anyone. I told her to stop harassing Sophia, which she was doing.” Lance didn’t back down despite being smaller, “Something you should have done yourself instead of letting your girlfriend torment your wife p>
Something in me snapped. I lunged forward. My fist was already swinging toward Lance’s face.
But before I could connect, Sophia was between us. Her hand caught my wrist with surprising strength.
It was like she expected it. I looked at her with shock.
“Stop,” she said flatly. “Just stop p>
I froze, looking down at her. Her eyes were empty. There was no anger, no hurt, just… nothing.
“You’re right,” Sophia continued, releasing my wrist. “This is over. All of it. I’ll draft a new divorce agreement myself. One that clearly states our asset division, custody arrangements, everything. And I’ll make sure you sign it. No more delays. No more excuses p>
“Sophia p>
“We’re done, Damien.” She stepped back, away from both of us. Done with all of it. Sign the papers when I send them or I’ll make sure everyone in this pack knows exactly what kind of alpha you really are p>
Lance put a gentle hand on her back, guiding her away.
I stood there in the hospital lobby, watching them leave together, surrounded by staff and patients who’d witnessed the entire scene.
I’d just nearly hit another wolf – a doctor, in a hospital, in front of dozens of witnesses – because he’d defended my wife from harassment.
What the hell was I becoming?
My wolf whimpered, feeling confused and ashamed. The mate bond pulled sharply, trying to make me go after Sophia, apologize, fix this.
But I didn’t move.
Because I didn’t know how to fix it anymore.